Danish Crane
I saw this bird flying over one of Copenhagen’s lakes a few summers ago.
Stairs at Ryoanji (龍安寺)
Ryoanji (龍安寺)
Ryoanji is best know for its zen rock garden–perhaps the most famous karesansui (枯山水) in the world. However, there is much more to see at Ryoanji, including a lake, these stairs, and other objects and paths.
Christiania grass-roof house
Freetown Christiania (Copenhagen, Denmark)
4/14/14 – 4/15/14 lunar eclipse sequence
pre-eclipse 10:10
11:12
11:52
12:07
Gavle Old Town
Street with the Joe Hill Museum (Gävle, Sweden)
While wandering through Gävle’s old town I came upon the Joe Hill Museum (Joe Hill-gården) from which I took today’s photo. Joe immigrated to the USA in 1902 and was executed in Salt Lake City for a crime; the museum contends he was innocent.
Koyasan tip
Kongōbu-ji (金剛峯寺) on Koyasan
Japan’s temples and shrines, to me, are far more special alone. New Year’s Day crowds can be interesting too, but visiting a temple or shrine with loads of tourists isn’t usually my thing.
Here is a tip if you are on Koyasan. Some temples, like Kongobuji, close at 5. Dinner at most of the lodgings is at 5:30 or 6. Most people head back to their lodgings before 4 to relax before dinner. You are better off relaxing during the middle of the day when the places are crowded and experiencing the temples between 4 and 5 (or early in the morning) when they are empty.
Such was the case when I walked up through this gate to Kongobuji after 4 p.m. (passing many tourists scurrying back to their temple lodgings). I was the only one there!
Subscribe in a reader or get updates via email